In recent years for various reasons, most automobiles are required to use unleaded gasoline. In order to accomplish this restriction, pumps which dispense unleaded gasoline have a smaller sized nozzle than those pumps which dispense various leaded types of gasoline. Cars requiring unleaded gasoline typically have a filler neck having a restrictor located in the neck sized to accept only the smaller unleaded nozzle. As leaded gasoline has typically remained cheaper than unleaded gasoline, many motorists have altered the unleaded filler necks by means of chiseling, punching or the like to remove the restriction and allow the introduction of leaded gasoline into a vehicle designed for unleaded gasoline. Such alteration and tampering, in addition to being illegal, can cause deleterious effects on vehicle performance.
Various state and Federal laws require the restrictor located in the filler neck to remain intact at all times and particularly upon resale of such a vehicle. In states with inspection laws, the insert must remain intact in order for a vehicle to be registered. Due to the original construction of tanks and filler necks by vehicle manufacturers, restoration of the original restricted filler neck can be an expensive and time-consuming proposition requiring in many cases replacement of the complete neck assembly or even the entire gas tank as the tank often is produced integrally with the filler neck.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a filler neck restrictor which may be easily inserted into a vehicle filler neck and yet which is highly resistant to removal therefrom. It is further an object of this invention to provide a restrictor which will comply with the applicable statutes and regulations and yet may be inexpensively and easily installed.